Losing Anything < $2 Billion, Whether Through Trading Or Regulatory Fines, Now Considered A Victory At UBS

UBS's $1.5 billion settlement for manipulating interbank lending rates is the fourth separate regulatory finding against the Swiss group in as many years - underlining the failure of bank executives to reform the corporate culture...Just last month, a London jury convicted one of UBS's former traders, Kweku Adoboli, of the biggest banking fraud in British history after he lost $2.3 billion in rogue trades. The FSA also fined the bank 29.7 million pounds ($39.2 million) for allowing the unauthorized trades. The trading loss is now seen among UBS staff as the new benchmark of wrongdoing, with reports of relief among employees that the bank's $1.5 billion global Libor settlement was "only half an Adoboli." [FT]